Butter chip maker



Dec. 12, 1944. M. J. WEINBERG BUTTER CHIP MAKER Filed May 7. 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fl 2mm? Jfkme Dec. 12, 1944. M.. J. WEINBERG BUTTER CHIP MAKER Filed May 7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 oiv jllazzrz'ae (KW/ 2722961 WM W Dec. 12, 1944. J wElNBERG 2,354,885

BUTTER CHIP MAKER Filed May 7, 1.941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 0000000000 0 OOOOOOOOOQOQ mate 0. PVfihw/y Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE BUTTER CHIP'MAKER Maurice rweinber gnew York, N. 1;

Application May'l', 1941, Serial No. 392,373

3 Claims. Cl. 31-42) The present inventionrel ates" to an improved apparatus for forming butter chips or patties and has for its primary object the provision of a device of this character thatwill produce butter in chip form and simultaneously ornament and/or emboss each formed chip.

A further object of the invention is. to provide a device of this character that will readily convert butter from print or bulk form into ornae mented chips or patties which includes a novel means for supporting the butter and for expediting. its handling after formation of the chips or patties.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a butter chip maker comprising a framehaving a recessed portion to provide a support for the placing of aspatula, the butter to be produced in chip form. being supported. on the spatula and additional means for detachablysecuring said spatula to said frame.

Atstill further object of the invention resides in the provision of a butter chip maker having the above characteristics in which a strip of relatively thin paper formed of parchment'or the like is employedas a supporting surface for the butter, said strip of paper forming a medium for effecting transfer of the formed chip or patties to be stacked for future use. This is especially advantageous for hotel or restaurant trade.

Figure 7 is a top plan veiw of a strip of" paper used in Figure ;2;

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of stacking the formed chips in which paper is used as a carrier'and separating medium; and

Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 are top plan views of various forms of paper carriers employed in the device for supporting and handling th formed butter chips.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description thereof and particularly Figure 1 and .2, the improved butter chip maker is generally designated by the reference numeral I0 and comprises a substantially rectangularlyshaped frame H and impressor head l2. The impressor head I2 is of the type, particularly illustrated and described in my Patent No. 2,193,013, issued March 12, 1940, said head adapted to form longitudinal and transverse cuts in a slab of butter l3 and at the same time ornament and/or emboss the top surface of each formed chip. As is to be understood, the impressor head I2 is of substantially the same shape The invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention indetaiLreference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or. corresponding parts throughout the several views, and inwhich Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view illustrating a slab of butter in the process of being ornamentedand made into chips;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of cer-- tain parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of a still furtherv modified form of the invention;

Figure 5 isan'exploded perspective view of certain parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 4';

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view with themher frame disposed in aposition reverse to that shown in Figure:4;, l

as the frame H and is readily positioned and removed during the chip forming operation.

The frame I l is preferably of hollow formation and includes side walls l4 and front and rear walls 15 and I6, respectively. The top wall 11 is recessed below the upper edge of the side and end walls and the end wall I6 is cut out to conform with the top wall IT. The marginal edges of the side walls l4 directly above the top wall I! are grooved as indicated at. l8 to form a trackway for the spatula l 9. Referring more particularly to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the side edges 20 of the spatula are shaped for slidable movement within the grooved edges or trackway I8, said spatula being. shown in position in Figure 1 of. the drawings.

The spatula I9 forms a supporting surface for the slab of butter 13, the depth of the recess in the frame H with the spatula IS in position be-' the slot 24 formed in the end wall 96 and when inposition will Contact the bottom face of the wall IT, as more particularly shown in Figure 1. This means of attaching the spatula ill to the frame II prevents said spatulafrom being lifted;

when removing the impressor head l2 after formation of the butter chips or patties. Under ordinary circumstances, however, the tongue and groove of the spatula and frame will be sufficient to maintain the spatula in position.

In some instances it may be desirable to employ a paper carrier or the like 25 on which the butter is supported. The frame H has been modified to accommodate the use of the paper 25 by the provision of an elongated slot 26 in the front end I5 through which one end of the paper can be disposed. As is to be understood,

the paper 25 is placed on the spatula with the...

forward end disposed through the slot 26 prior to placement of the butter. After formation of the butter chips, the head is removed and the paper withdrawn from the slot by the operator of the device so that the formed chips or pate ties can be lifted from the spatula and placed in a suitable receptacle. In practice, the formed chips or patties are stacked and the paper 25 provides the separating medium for the superposed layers of chips thereby preventing adhesion of the butter or a marring of the formed chips.

When the butter pats are formed directly on the spatula without using the paper carrier, stacking for future use is not ordinarily required. Instead, the spatula is withdrawn from the frame and the butter pats separated therefrom by means of a wire or the like and dropped directly into an ice bowl or the like for immediate use. This is especially advantageous for smaller hotels and restaurants using a relatively small quantity of butter for each meal served.

In Figure 3 of the drawings there is shown a modified form of the invention in which the top wall H is formed with a longitudinal slot 21 which communicates with a transverse slot 28 formed in the end wall IS. The lower face of the spatula is formed with a key 29 which is adapted to enter the slot 28 and become locked therein. The key 29 has a rib 30 of substantially the same size as the longitudinal slot 21. The spatula and frame shown in Figure 3 are used substantially the same as the form previously described.

In Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings there is shown a still further modified form of the invention which includes inner and outer frames 3| and 32. The inner and outer frames are substantially rectangular shaped with one frame being slidable relative to the other. The inner frame 3| has its top wall 33 recessed below the upper edge of the side walls 34 and is adapted to support by simple adhesion the spatula 35, the construction of the spatula being substantially the same as that previously described.

One or both end walls 36 of the outer frame is cut out as indicated at 31 so that the spatula 35 can be readily positioned and removed when the frames are in the position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. As in the preferred form, the front end wall 38 is formed with a slot 39 through which one end of the paper carrier 25 can project if such carrier is employed. The top wall 33 of the inner frame and the side walls of the outer frame, with the spatula in position, form a receiving chamber for the slab of butter 40. After formation of the chips, the impressor head 4| is removed and the spatula 35 withdrawn in the manner previously described, withdrawal of the spatula being accomplished without removing the outer frame. In this form of the invention, the spatula may be eliminated entirely and the paper carrier substituted in which case said carrier would be laid flat throughout the length of the base and the slab of butter placed directly thereon.

To retain the paper in position the top wall 33 would first be coated with a substance to cause the paper to adhere thereto.

In either form of the invention above described the spatula can be dispensed with and a strip of paper, such as illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings, employed as a carrier for the butter. The paper may or may not be waxed and is held fast to the wall I! by adhesion through the application of a grease smear to the wall H. The butter slab I3 resting on the paper carrier 25 will adhere to the top side of said carrier, and the adhesion will be sufficiently great, in most H0wever, it has been found in actual practice that the greatest amountof resistance obtainable to head plate adhesion is when the butter slab directly contacts the wall I1. One paper carrier can be repeatedly used where it is desired to detach the butter pats and allow them to drop directly into an ice bowl for immediate use as described in connection with the spatula. The butter pats are easily loosened from the face of the paper carrier without the necessity of employing a wire or the like as in the case of the spatula.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, the position of the inner frame 3| has been reversed from that shown in Figure 4 so that the bottom wall 42 forms a supporting surface for the butter. In this use of the invention the spatula has been eliminated and a strip of paper of the type shown in Figure 9 of the drawings and designated by the reference numeral 43, is employed. It will be observed that the intermediate portion of said strip of paper i narrower than each end thereof so that when the paper is in position on the wall 42, a certain portion of the butter will be in direct contact with said wall for adherence thereto. This will obviate the rpossibility of the formed chips adhering to the impressor head as said head is removed and will at the same time retain the paper in proper position.

After removal of the impressor head, which occurs when the chips have been formed and ornamented, each end of the paper 43 is engaged by the operator for lifting the chips from the frame 3| and the successive layers of chips will be stacked in the manner illustrated in Figure 8. Should the butter chips be stacked one upon the other, adhesion would result between the layers because of the surface exposure created by the intermediate cut-out portion of the strip 43. To

obviate this adhesion between the layers, the end portions of the paper have been folded over the butter chips in the manner shown in Figure 8, to form a protecting layer. Thus the individual layers of chips will be out of contact with each other thereby preventing mutilation, marring, or obliteration of the ornamentation. It is to be understood that the [paper 43 with the formed chips thereon can be lifted from the frame 3| without removing the outer frame 32, the same being withdrawn through the cut-out portion of the end 36. In practice it is preferred that the paper be engaged and pulled outwardly toward the end 36 until said chips are entirely free from contact with the marginal edge of the front end wall of the outer frame 38, or lifted upwardly.

In Figure 1001 the drawings there is disclosed a paper carrier 44 having end flap portion 45 and the intermediate portion formed with a multilplicity of perforations 46. The [perforated area represents substantially the lengtliof the butter slab and the two flaps 45 are sufficiently long so as to fold over the perforated area for protecting th butter chips as they are stacked in layers in the manner previously described. The perforations permit suflicient butter exposure for adherence of the same to the frame.- The paper carrier 44, though generously perforated, remains sufliciently strong to overcome the adhesion existing between the finished butter chips and the base plate Of the frame, when thebutter pats are removed.

The butter chips can also be easily removed from the paper carrier since, by turning the same upside down, said chips will obviously detach themselves quite easily, because there now exists a minimum of adhesion between the chips and the carrier because of the numerous perforations.

In Figure 11 of the drawings the paper carrier 41 has the perforations 48 formed on one end thereof and the remaining portion presenting a flap to be folded over said perforated portion for protecting the butter chips as they are stacked in layers in the manner previously described.

In Figure 12 there is shown a paper carrier 49 cut out in the manner described in connection with the carrier illustrated in Figure 9. The narrow portion is formed with a multiplicity of perforations 50 which permits additional adhesion of the butter to the base frame 3!. The ends present flaps that are adapted to be folded over the cut-out portion for protecting the butter chips a they are stacked in layers.

Also it will be understood of course, by those skilled in the art that Variations in the hereinabove-described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A butter chip maker comprising a frame having side and end Walls, a head plate recessed floelow the upper edge of said walls, a strip of paper having an intermediate portion of its marginal edges cut out to expose a portion of the head plate held in appressed relation on said head plate, said strip of paper adapted to be lifted from said head plate for detaching the formed butter chips therefrom, and means removably associated with said frame adapted to engage the surface of said butter for forming an impression thereon.

2. A butter chip maker comprising a frame having side and end walls, a head plate recessed below the upper edge of said walls, a strip of paper removably held on said head plate for receiving a slab of butter, said paper being formed with a plurality of perforations whereby a-certain portion of said butter will contact said head plate for causing adhesion of said butter thereto, and

means removably associated with said frame adapted to engage the surface of said butter for forming an impression thereon.

3. A butter chip maker of the character described comprising a frame having side and end Walls, a head plate recessed below the upper edge of said walls, a strip of paper having an intermediate portion of its marginal edges cut out to expose a portion oii the head plate and removably held on said head plate for receiving a slab of butter, said strip of paper adapted to be lifted from said head plate for detaching the formed butter chips therefrom, a flap portion integral with each end of said strip of paper projecting beyond each end wall of said frame and adapted to be folded over said butter after removal of said 

